This puzzle:

Andrea Carla Michaels notes: The genesis of this was to try and have family/food names AUNTJEMIMA/UNCLEBEN
but I couldn't come with more. But then I started thinking about
food icons across the board...vegetables, cereal, condiments...Though
it's ultimately "just a list" I thought the fact that they were all
animated, colorful characters from our childhood would make up for
lack of a ton of word play.

Sometimes I like to evoke nostalgia or stories for the solver to
share. I'm a former standup comic who is part of the storytelling
scene here in SF...so I love when solvers share stories that the
puzzle has triggered. That's part of the whole constructing/solving
experience.
I like the idea of the conversation continuing after the solve...or
even inspiring others to come up with a follow up puzzle.